West Virginia State Life Insurance Practice Exam

Who may receive an applicant's medical information from the Medical Information Bureau (MIB)?

1. The applicant's employer

2. The applicant's physician

3. The public health department

4. The insurance company underwriter only

The correct answer is: The applicant's physician

The correct choice is that the applicant's physician may receive medical information from the Medical Information Bureau (MIB). The MIB serves as a resource for insurance companies to collect and verify medical information related to applicants for life insurance and other health-related insurance products. Physicians often require access to medical histories to provide the best possible care to their patients. When an applicant applies for insurance, their physician can receive information from the MIB, which helps them understand the individual's health background and any medical conditions that may need to be addressed, thus supporting the physician's role in patient care. The other options listed do not have access to the applicant's medical information in the same way. An employer generally does not have the right to access an employee's medical data due to privacy laws unless there is a specific consent. While public health departments may collect medical data, they typically do not receive information from MIB regarding specific applicants for life insurance. Insurance company underwriters do utilize MIB data, but they specifically apply it for the underwriting process rather than being directly considered recipients of that information like the physician is. Thus, the physician's access to the MIB's information aligns with their role in providing healthcare, making it the correct answer for who may receive the